Incremental syringe

Abstract

An incremental syringe useful for multiple injections of medications like botulinum toxin is provided. The syringe includes detents on the syringe plunger which provide a tactile feeling, a discrete audible sound or “click,” or preferably both, for every unit of medication aspirated or injected to or from an individual syringe. Hence, there is no need to look at the syringe, or bring it to the eye level, during use thereof. In some embodiments, a second set of detents is included, and in some embodiments a third set of detents is included. Syringe plungers useful for combining with a syringe body to produce such an incremental syringe are also described.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62 / 091,248, filed Dec. 12, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention concerns medical syringes for injection of active agents such as botulinum toxin and local anesthetics into a subject, at multiple sites but through the same syringe and injection needle assembly.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The commonplace, seemingly straightforward, task of administering an injection of medication with a syringe is often more complicated than it first appears. With syringes in common use by clinicians today, when a certain amount of medication is to be taken from a bottle (vial), the clinician inserts the syringe needle into the bottle, brings the bottle up to eye level, aspirates or withdraws slightly more than the required amount of medication from the bottle into the syringe, and then graduall...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The new syringe has two main benefits: it has a tactile feel and a distinct sound when each unit of medication is aspirated or injected. This makes it easier to use without having to look at the syringe. Additionally, it allows for easier and more accurate injection of multiple subvolumes of solution from a single syringe into different spots in the body, particularly for procedures such as injection of botulinum toxin, anesthetics, or other agents. Overall, this new syringe is more user-friendly, efficient, and accurate.

Problems solved by technology

The commonplace, seemingly straightforward, task of administering an injection of medication with a syringe is often more complicated than it first appears.

Often, as the user tries to gradually empty the syringe contents back into the bottle, more medication than intended is inadvertently returned to the bottle.

As a result, the clinician must either inject less medication than desired, or repeat the process again.

If the clinician cannot bring the bottle to eye level (as when aspirating from a large or hanging container), the process is much more difficult and inaccurate, because of different angle of vision.

When the clinician wishes to inject only a portion of the medication contained in the syringe, the process is even more complicated.

If more than intended has been injected, there is no way to bring it back—a particularly dangerous situation when injecting more critical medications.

With conventional syringes, there is no way one person can do so accurately.

Many times, injection should be done while looking at monitor; so it is not possible to look at the syringe at the same time.

Furthermore it is extremely difficult to inject a specific amount to one point.

This practice is neither effective nor efficient.

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